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The last several days the story of Job has been in my prayer and reflection. We meet Job in the Old Testament as he rebounds from losing everything meaningful in his life – his family and possessions. We encounter him in a very vulnerable state. When all is lost he turns to God and, after a struggle, is blessed abundantly. The last we know of Job he is praising the wonder of God who brought him from nothing to life. At he heart of this story is Job’s struggle to let go of many meaningful parts of his life in order to receive from God a new life. You might find in Job inspiration to address those changes in your life and to learn Trust in a gracious God who is with you.

Few of us are called to lose absolutely everything – thank God for that. However, we are called to set aside some important parts of life in order to give more to God and His desire for us. Wherever you find yourself in your discernment about religious life and your vocation to God – there are aspects of life you have to reflect upon in light of God’s desire for you. I am by no means suggesting you are like Job and at risk of losing everything meaningful. However Job is looking for God’s Will and we can learn the art of letting go from Job.

If you were to join our Benedictine community you would find that some parts of life are reshaped – but we are not called to leave all of our lives behind. I think a part of discernment is to reflect on those aspects of your life that will be reshaped if you follow God’s Will to enter religious life.

Over the next series of blogs I will be sharing some thoughts about those areas of life. I hope this is a guide for you in your discernment. I welcome your questions and topics – and will respond with some insights that may assist you in your discernment journey. Please feel free to ask anything. That is a very important part of your discernment.